Washing machine with a reciprocatable and rotatable drive motor



R. S. GAUGLER WASHING MACHINE WITH A RECIPROCATABLE AND May 25, 1965ROTATABLE DRIVE MOTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed MaIGh ll, 1963 IN VEN TOR.Ric/:ard S. Gaag/er Fig.

H/'s Afforney May 25, 1965 R s. GAUGLER 3,184,933

WASHING MACHIN'E WITH A RECIPROCATABLE AND ROTATABLE DRIVE MOTOR FiledMarch ll 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ric/10rd S Gaag/er F/g. 2 BYHis Afforney United States Patent O 3,184,933 WASHING MACHINE WITH ARECIPROCATABLE AND ROTATABLE `DRIVE MGTR Richard S. Gaugler, Dayton,(Ehio, assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,356 7 Claims.(Cl. 68--23) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and moreparticularly to an agitating and spinningmechanism for a clothes washer.

Prime mover systems in prior art clothes washers have included manytypes of mechanisms to produce agitating in the spin tub and spinning ofthe tub itself. Some of these prior art devices include sealed units inwhich the elements are bathed in oil while others require complicatedmotion translating mechanism to convert the rotational motion ot a motorto the oscillatory or pulsating motion of the agita-tor. This inventionis directed to a simplitied agitating and spinning mechanism wherein themotor itself is energizable to produce directly either agitation orspin.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a clotheswasher tub and agitator with an improved motor means for directlyselectively moving the agitator or spinning the tub.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a clothes washerhaving a prime mover means for selectively actuating a spin tub or anagitator wherein said prime mover means includes a stator portion whichis 'stationary relative to the clothes washer cabinet and a rotorportion directly connected to the agitator and both relatively axiallyslidably connected and drivably rotatably connected to the tub, saidstator portion being selectively energizable to cause the rotor portion-to move either relatively axially or relatively rotatably to saidstator portion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a prime mover meansincluding a stator portion and a rotor portion, said rotor portion beingmovable relative to said stator portion in both an axial and arotational direction thereby `to effect a reciprocating drive or arotational drive.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment ot the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FEGURE l is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of a clothes washerprovided with this invention; and

FlGURE 2 is a schematic wiring diagram for operating this invention.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FEGURE l, aclothes washer 1t) is illustrated. The clothes washer includes an outercabinet means 12 tor supporting a water container 14. The lower porti-onof the water container is closed by a bulkhead 16 which divides thecabinet into a mechanism compartment 18 and a sp-in tub compartment 20.Within the water container 14 is a spin tub 22 adapted to receive waterthrough a Water supply line 24 and adapted to centrifuge Water therefromwhen rotated through a plurality of outflow ports 26. An agitator orpulsating means 28 resides within the spin tub 22 and is adapted forvertical reciprocation to produce a washing action within the spin tub.In general, an agitating and spinning mechanism or prime mover means 3i)is disposed in the machinery compart- `ment 18 and is adapted to eitherrotate the spin tub 22 or vertically reciprocate the agitator orpulsator 28, as will be described more fully next following.

ICC

The agitating and spinning mechanism 30 includes a support frame 31 inwhich a cylindrical motor casing 32 is carried at the upper portion of asnubber bracket 34. Note that the snubber bracket is pivoted at 36 onthe bottom of the clothes washer casing so that movement of the tub 22due to unbalance is permitted by a flexible, inverted cup-like support3S on the bulkhead 16. The mechanism frame includes a top bearingsupport portion 39 above the motor casing which carries a bearing 40.Similarly, a lower bearing support portion 42 below the motor casing hasa Ibear-ing 44. An agitate and -spin shaft or drive shaft means 46extends through the bearings 46 and 44 and is connected at its upper end48 with the agitator 28. The spin tub 22 includes a tub support castingS9 having an internally splined central portion for receiving thesplined end 52 of the drive shaft 46. Thus, it can be seen that theshaft 46 can reciprocate axially relative to the spin tub 22 to producea vertically reciprocating action at the pulsator 28. On the other hand,when the drive shaft 46 is rotated, the splined connection between theshaft and the -tub support 50 will cause the :spin tub 22 to be rotated.Suitable seals 56 and 58 are included between the tub 22 and `theagitator 28 to prevent water leakage from the tub at this point. Anadditional water seal 66 is included between the yieldable support 38and the tub support casting 50 or the shaft 46 to prevent water leakagefrom the Water container into the mechanism compartment.

The agitating and spinning mechanism 39 will consist of a motor rotorportion 62 affixed directly to the drive shaft 46 and a motor statorportion 64 supportedrin the mech- 4anism frame 31 which is, in turn,pivotally carried by the bottom of the clothes washer casing 12. Whenthe stator 64 is not energized, the motor rotor 62 is either above orbelow its magnetic center in the stator. In FIGURE l, the rotor 62 isshown below its magnetic center in a tirst position. This lower positionis established by gravity and a compression spring 66 which acts betweenan annular iianged lstop or spring retainer 68 on the end of the driveshaft 46 and the lower bearing support 42.

The vertical reciprocating orlpulsating action is obtained by energizingthe motor stator 64 in a manner which causes the rotor 62 to be pulleddirectly to an upper or second position in the magnetic center of thestator without rotating. This is similar to a solenoid action. Note thatthe pulling in ofthe rotor 62 compresses the spring 66 storing energytherein for returning the rotor to its lower or first position when thestator 64 is deenergized.

For spinning the tub 22 the motor is continuously energized. Theenergized stator 64 will then pull the rotor into its magnetic centerand rotate it there for the duration of spin.

The manner in which the stator 64 is selectively energized to produceeither tub spin or agitator reciprocation will now be described withIreference to FIGURES 1 and 2. In general, the energy supplied to thestator for pulsing the agitator will be handled through a siliconcontrolled rectifier, hereinafter referred to as SCR, and a timingcircuit-the frequency of agitator pulsing -being controlled by thetiming circu-it. More particularly, this control is effected byconnecting the timing circuit to .the gate of the SCR.

In the circuit of FIGURE 2, diodes 70, 72, 74 and 76 form a bridgerectifier that supplies full wave voltage t0 a SCR circuit betweenjunction points 78 and 80. The SCR circuit, shown generally as 82, isselectively connected in power supply relationship to the motor runwinding 84 which is actually a load across another diode 83 andcontrolled by the SCR circuit 82. The object of the SCR circuit y32 isto supply several consecutive half cycles of voltage to the run winding84 at a predetermined interval, thereby to reciprocate the agitator 28.In operation,

the run winding current increases or is turned on with each half cycleof voltage and approaches a limit value determined by dividing the runWinding resistance into the voltage before it is turned oi. It should benoted that the pull-in or solenoid force is much greater than that whichwould be obtained by applying A.C. voltage for the same length of time.

The length of time that the SCR 86 is otf is determined by the length oftime required for a capacitor 83 to charge through a variable resistanceor agitate speed control 90 to a voltage equal to or greater than thebreak-over voltage of a four-layer diode 92. When the voltage across thecapacitor 88 reaches the break-over voltage of the fourlayer diode 92,the capacitor 80 will discharge through the diode 92, a resistance 94and the gate circuit of the SCR 86. This, in effect, turns the SCR onand passes current from L1, diode 70, SCR 86, conductors 93 and 100, runwinding y04, conductor 102, conductor 104, diode 76, and conductor 106to the other side of the line L2. Of course, selector relay switches-132 and 136 would be in their upper position (FIGURE 2) to establishthis agitate circuit.

The length of time tha-t the SCR 86 is on is determined by the length oftime required for capacitor 8S to discharge through the four-layer diode92, resistance 94 and the gate of the SCR 86. As soon as this dischargecurrent reduces to the minimum current (holding current) required tokeep the four-layer diode 92 in the conducting state, the four-layerdiode 92 turns ott and the gate of the SCR S6 turns off as well.

In addition to the foregoing circuit for establishing the pulsating orreciprocating action for the agitator 28, the mechanism control circuitmay include a manual master control or wash function selector switch 110having DPDT selector switch portions 1-12 and 114. Thus, a lamp 116 willbe illuminated when the selector switch portion 114 engages the agitatecontact 118 to indicate an agitate function. On the other hand, anindicating lamp 120 will be illuminated to indicate spin when theselector switch portion 114 engages a tub spin or motor run contact 122.

Both selector switch portions 112 and 114- are moved together-#theswitch portion 112 controlling a selector relay 126. If the masterselector switch 110 is moved to its lower position for spin, switchportion 114 engaging the spin contact 122 and switch portion 112engaging a selector relay contact 124, the selector relay coil 126 willbe energized from L2 through conductor 106, selector relay coil 126,conductor 128, switch portion 114 and conductor 130 to the other side ofthe line L1. The energization of the relay coil 126 will move the relayswitch portions 132, 134 and 136 to their spin position on lower relaycontacts 138, 140 and 142, respectively. In this relationship the motorrun winding 84 and motor start winding 150 will be energized to pull therotor 62 into the magnetic center of the stator 64 thereby to rotate thespin tub 22.

For dropping out the start winding y150 during spin, a relay 152 isincorporated in the circuit and energized when the selector relay 126moves the relay switch 134 to its spin contact 140. In this relationshippower is supplied to the relay .152 from L1, relay switch 134, conductor156, an overload switch 158, holding coil 160, conductor 162, relayswitch 136, conductor 100, run winding 84, conductor 102, relay switch132, spin contact 13S and conductor 106 to the other side of the lineL2. Start winding relay coil 160 will pull in the relay switch 166 andhold it in to energize the start winding 150 so long as a large startingcurrent is present. As the motor cornes up to speed, current through therelay holding coil 160 will drop off and the relay switch 166 will opento disconnect the start Winding. Thus, the motor coil S4 is energized ina continuous manner for spinning the tub 22. It should be understoodthat the manual selector switch 110 could be controlled by aconventional clothes washer timer t i selectively move the switch foreffecting a desired agitating cycle or spinning cycle in accordance withconventional clothes washing practice.

yIt should now be seen that an improved agitating and spinning mechanismhas been provided for a clothes washer wherein both tub spin andagitator pulsation are accomplished directly with a single motor needingno auxiliary motion translating mechanism.

While `the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. yIn a washing machine, tub means, agitating means in said tub meansfor agitating, means for rotatably supporting said tub means, and primemover means for selectively rotating said tub means and forreciprocating said agitating means, said prime mover means including astationary motor stator means, a motor rotor means rotatably drivablyconnected to said tub means and reciprocatingly dr-ivably connected tosaid agitating means and supported in said motor stator means forrotational and axial movement relative to said motor stator means, saidmotor rotor means having a first position below the motor stator meansand a second position at the magnetic center of said motor stator means,and spring means for biasing said motor rotor means to said firstposition, said motor stator means being energizable in one manner topull said motor rotor means to said second position thereby to storeenergy in said spring means for return movement of said motor rotormeans to said first posi-tion when said motor stator means isdeenergized thereby to reciprocate said agitating means, said motorstator means being energizable in another manner to rotate said motorrotor means in said second position thereby to rotate said tub means,and means for periodically energizing said motor stator means in saidone manner to facilitate the continuous reciprocation of said agitatingmeans.

2. In a washing machine, tub means, means for agitating, in said tubmeans, means for rotatably supporting said tub means, and prime movermeans for selectively rotating said tub means and for moving said meansfor agitating, said prime mover means including a stationary motorstator means, a motor rotor means selectively drivably connected to saidtub means and said means for agitating and supported in said motorstator means for rotational and axial movement relative to said motorstator means, said motor rotor means having a rst position outside themotor stator means and a second position substantially at the magneticcenter of said motor stator means, means for biasing said motor rotormeans to said rst position, said motor stator means being energizable ina rst manner to repeatedly move said motor rotor means to said secondposition thereby to store energy in said biasing means for returnmovement of said motor rotor means to said rst position when said motorstator means is deenergized thereby to continuously reciprocate saidmeans for agitating, said motor stator means being energizable in asecond manner to rotate said motor rotor means in said second positionthereby to rotate said tub means, and control means in power supplyrelationship to said motor stator means and operable to energize saidmotor stator means in said rst or second manner.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 wherein said control means includes asolid state switching device and a timing circuit operatively associatedwith said device for periodically passing power to said motor statormeans in said first manner to eiect the movement of said means foragitating.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein said control means includesmeans in shunt relationship to said solid state switching device andsaid timing circuit for continuously passing power to said motor statormeans in said second manner to effect the rotation of said tub means.

5. In a washing machine, tub means, means for agitating in said tubmeans, means for rotatably supporting said tub means, and prime movermeans for selectiveiy rotating said tub means and for moving said meansfor agitating, said prime mover means including a stationary motorstator means having a substantially vertical axis, a motor rotor meansselectively drivably connected to said tub means and said means foragitating and supported in said motor stator means for rotational andaxial movement relative to said motor stator means, said motor rotormeans having a first position outside the motor stator' means and asecond position at the magnetic center of said motor stator means, saidmotor stator means being energizable in a first manner to repeatedlypull said motor rotor means to said second position thereby to storegravitational energy in said motor rotor means for repeated returnmovement of said motor rotor means to said irst position when said motorstator means is deenergized thereby to continuously reciprocate saidmeans for agitating, said motor stator means being energizable in asecond manner to rotate said motor rotor means in said second positionthereby to rotate said tub means, and control means in power supplyrelationship to said motor stator means and operable to energize saidmotor stator means in said first or second manner.

6. In a washing machine, tub means, agitating means for agitating insaid tub means, means for rotatably supporting said tub means, and primemover means for selectively rotating said tub means and for moving saidagitating means, said prime mover means including a stationary motorstator means, a motor rotor means selectively drivably connected to saidtub means and said agitating means and supported in said motor statormeans for rotational and axial movement relative to said motor statormeans, said motor rotor means having a tirst position displaced from themagnetic center of the motor stator means and a second position closerto said magnetic center than said rst position, means for biasing saidmotor rotor means to said iirst position, said motor stator means beingenergizable in a first manner to repeatedly move said motor rotor meansto said second position thereby to repeatedly store energy in saidbiasing means for return movement of said motor rotor means to saidfirst position when said motor stator means is deenergized thereby tocontinuously reciprocate said agitating means, said motor stator meansbeing energizable in a second manner to rotate said motor rotor means insaid second position thereby to rotate said tub means, and control meansin power supply relationship to said motor stator means and operable toenergize said motor stator means in said first or second manner.

7. In a Washing machine, tub means, means for agitating in said tubmeans, means for rotatably supporting said tub means, and prime movermeans for selectively rotating said tub means and for moving said meansfor agitating, said prime mover means including a stationary motormeans, a rotatable motor means selectively drivably connected to saidtub means and said means for agitating and supported adjacent saidstationary motor means for rotational and axial movement relative tosaid stationary motor means, said rotatable motor means having a firstposition displaced from the magnetic center of the stationary motormeans and a second position closer to said magnetic center than saidfirst position, means for biasing said rotatable motor means to said rstposition, one of said motor means being energizable in a rirst manner torepeatedly move said rotatable motor means to said second positionthereby to store energy in said biasing means for return movement ofsaid rotatable motor means to said first position when said one of saidmotor means is deenergized thereby to continuously reciprocate saidmeans for agitating, said one of said motor means being energizable in asecond manner to rotate said rotatable motor means in said secondposition thereby to rotate said tub means, and control means in powersupply relationship to said one of said motor means and operable toenergize said one of said motor means in said rst or second manner. n

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,577,647 12/51Clark 68-23 X 2,595,659 5/52 Hollerith 134--188 X 2,595,660 5/52Hollerith 134-188 X WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES A. WlLLMUTH, Examiner.

1. IN A WASHING MACHINE, TUB MEANS, AGITATING MEANS IN SAID TUB MEANSFOR AGITATING, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID TUB MEANS, AND PRIMEMOVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ROTATING SAID TUB MEANS AND FOR RECIPROCATINGSAID AGITATING MEANS, SAID PRIME MOVER MEANS INCLUDIONG A STATIONARYMOTOR STATOR MEANS, A MOTOR ROTOR MEANS ROTATABLY DRIVABLY CONNECTED TOSAID TUB MEANS AND RECIPROCATINGLY DRIVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID AGITATINGMEANS AND SUPPORTED IN SAID MOTOR STATOR MEANS FOR ROTATIONAL AND AXIALMOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID MOTOR STATOR MEANS, MEANS ROTOR MEANS HAVING AFIRST POSITION BELOW THE MOTOR STATOR MEANS AND A SECOND POSITION AT THEMAGNETIC CENTER OF SAID MOTOR STATOR MEANS, AND SAID SPRING MEANS FORBIASING SAID MOTOR ROTOR MEANS TO SAID FIRST POSITION, SAID MOTOR STATORMEANS BEING ENERGIZABLE IN ONE MANNER TO PULL SAID MOTOR ROTOR MEANS TOSAID SECOND POSITION THEREBY TO STORE ENERGY IN SAID SPRING MEANS FORRETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID MOTOR ROTOR MEANS TO SAID FIRST POSITION WHENSAID MOTOR STATOR MEANS IS DEENERGIZED THEREBY TO RECIPROCATE SAIDAGITATING MEANS, SAID MOTOR STATOR MEANS BEING ENERGIZABLE IN ANOTHERMANNER TO ROTATE SAID MOTOR ROTOR MEANS IN SAID SECOND POSITION THEREBYTO ROTATE SAID TUB MEANS, AND MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY ENERGIZING SAIDMOTOR STATOR MEANS IN SAID ONE MANNER TO FACILITATE THE CONTINUOUSRECIPROCATION OF SAID AGITATING MEANS.